Point-and-click forecast maps now utilize a Google maps interface

BEGINNING MONDAY OCTOBER 20...NWS RELEASED A NEW VERSION OF ITS POINT FORECAST WEB PAGES USING A GOOGLE
MAPS INTERFACE FOR NAVIGATION AND LOCATION INFORMATION. THIS SYSTEM
REPLACES THE HOME-BUILT MAPS USED PREVIOUSLY. NWS POINT FORECAST PAGES
ARE MAPS ON THE HOME PAGE OF EACH NWS FORECAST OFFICE THAT ALLOW USERS
TO CLICK AND GO TO A SPECIFIC LOCATION. POINT FORECAST PAGES ARE CREATED
FROM THE NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE.

THE BASIC SERVICE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE POINT AND CLICK MAPS ON THESE
FORECAST PAGES REMAINS THE SAME. THE GOOGLE MAPS DISPLAY MORE DETAILED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION...ALLOWING THE USER TO CONFIRM THEIR LOCATION AND
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE FORECAST AREA.

THE USE OF GOOGLE MAPS ON THE POINT FORECAST PAGES COMES AS A RESULT
OF NOAA SIGNING AN ENTERPRISE LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH GOOGLE TO ALLOW NOAA AGENCIES TO USE GOOGLE EARTH PRO SOFTWARE AND GOOGLE MAPS APPLICATION
PROGRAM INTERFACE FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES. USE OF GOOGLE MAPS RELIEVES NWS
OF THE NEED TO UPDATE AND MAINTAIN MAPS NAME/PLACE/ZIP CODE LOCATIONS AND
TO BETTER FOCUS ON MISSION RELATED ACTIVITIES. THIS RELEASE ALSO EXPOSES
POINT FORECAST INFORMATION IN AN ADDITIONAL COMMON INTERNET-BASED STANDARD...KEYHOLE MARKUP LANGUAGE /KML/...ALLOWING DISPLAY IN
USER-DESIRED GIS APPLICATIONS.

MORE INFORMATION ON NWS USE OF GOOGLE EARTH/GOOGLE MAPS AND OTHER GIS
APPLICATIONS FOR DISPLAY CAN BE FOUND AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

IN THE COMING MONTHS NWS EXPECTS TO TEST OTHER DISPLAYS /E.G. ZONE
FORECASTS AND RADAR DISPLAYS/ TO GOOGLE MAPPING TECHNOLOGY AND TO
PROVIDE EXPERIMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR EXISTING SERVICES INCLUDING USING STREET ADDRESSES AND LOCATION NAMES TO NAVIGATE TO A POINT FORECAST.